


Twelve

by kittyeol



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Just lots of fluff, M/M, a bit of angst, and a lot of background couples, warning: barely any plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-04-19 03:59:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4732079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittyeol/pseuds/kittyeol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(It made him a little sick, because he could be perfect with someone too.)</p>
<p>(When did he become so bitter?)<br/>[on hiatus]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. March

**MARCH**

. . .

He met Luhan in passing.

“Minseok, this is Luhan. He’s my duet partner for the exam.” Jongdae said as he pointed to the boy with honey-blonde dyed hair. Jongdae introduced Minseok as his roommate and childhood best friend.

Luhan introduced himself with glittering eyes and a soft smile on his face. They only chatted for a few minutes, but that was all it took for Luhan to captivate Minseok. There was something incredibly charming about Luhan, and Minseok was drawn into his bubble immediately.

 

It wasn’t until he was asked to listen to the duet a week later that Minseok really noticed Jongdae’s lingering gazes and bright smiles directed at Luhan. He wasn’t surprised. Luhan was definitely his roommate’s type, so Minseok did his best to keep his feelings out of it.

They sang together beautifully, he thought to himself. Luhan’s voice was a bit lower than Jongdae’s, so they balanced each other out. When Jongdae was soaring too high up, Luhan was pulling him back to earth before he got lost in the clouds.

“You’re both fantastic.” He told them when they finished. Minseok pretended not to notice how Jongdae’s cheeks turned pink when Luhan hugged him.

 

“Luhan’s pretty cute, isn’t he?” Minseok said nonchalantly as he sat next to Jongdae on the couch. Aiming for casual, he leaned his elbow on the arm of the sofa.

Jongdae was composing some lyrics for an assignment, so when he agreed with the statement, he didn’t really think it through. Minseok waited.

“Wait, what did you just say?” Jongdae demanded when his words finally sunk in.

Minseok shrugged, hopefully looking aloof. “I said he’s hot. I think he digs me, man. He’s been giving me _the look_.” He said, leaning close to Jongdae as he wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

Jongdae’s expression flickered from confusion to anger to disappointment to anger in the few short moments of silence. “What? What _look_? You’ve never talked to him! I know he’s hot but you can’t– not when I– no!” His last word was punctuated with a light shove on his shoulder.

Minseok laughed too loudly and it wasn’t quite genuine, but he hoped Jongdae didn’t notice. He clapped his hand on Jongdae’s shoulder and shook him a bit. “I’m joking. Even though you didn’t bother tell me, I’ll support you.”

Jongdae’s face transformed from angry to guilty in a matter of seconds. “I’m sorry, man. I wanted to tell you but it’s just… And I didn’t…” Jongdae apologized with his head down.

Minseok shook his head and ruffled his best friend’s hair affectionately. “No worries. I didn’t tell you about Soojung.” He pointed out.

Jongdae was silent, until the reality of the situation seemingly hit him. “Yeah, you didn’t. Shit, you didn’t even mention you were dating her until a few weeks in! Screw you you, man. You even made me feel bad!” He accused, looking scandalized.

Minseok stuck his tongue out at him. “Shut up.” He said as settled on the couch and leaned his head back. He turned his head slightly to peer at Jongdae and smile. “So you’re serious about him?”

He heard him sigh. Minseok looked at the ceiling but he heard the crinkling of the scores Jongdae was working on and he felt him lean on his shoulder. “I think so…” Jongdae whispered, almost as if to himself. He snuggled up to Minseok and hummed to himself. “I’ve known him for a while, but I wasn’t really interested until we worked together. I don’t know, singing with him is really fun. I like being around him.”

Jongdae rested his head on Minseok’s shoulder for a few more seconds before he got up and cleared his throat. He turned his face away, but Minseok noticed his ears were a little red. “Okay, now I’m embarrassed. No more feelings. I need to work.” He picked his pen back up and went back to humming his song.

It was clear Jongdae didn’t expect a response from Minseok, and he was glad, because he probably couldn’t speak without babbling out something dumb (like how much it hurt or how badly he wanted to throw something, but Jongdae didn’t need to know).

. . .

“Hey, are you even listening to me?” Minseok whined as he pushed Jongdae’s shoulder.

Jongdae shoved Minseok back but he didn’t look up from his phone. “I don’t care about whatever manga you’re reading. Luhan is texting me.” He said distractedly.

“Brat…” Minseok muttered under his breath. Curious, he peeked over Jongdae’s shoulder. “Why does he use so many emoticons? That’s like, five smiley faces. He can’t be that happy over your selfie.”

Pink with embarrassment, Jongdae nudged him off his shoulder. “Shut up! I sent it because- oh, he sent me one back!” Jongdae cheered.

Minseok squished in close again to see the picture. Luhan was smiling and leaning his head on some familiar person’s shoulder. “Who’s that?” He asked. He knew that face… it was on the tip of his tongue.

Jongdae turned to look at Minseok and pushed his face away when he realized how close they were.  “That’s his friend, Yixing. He’s foreign and available… why are you laughing?” Jongdae questioned with a strange look on his face.

“Yixing! I knew it!” He yelled. “He was my dance club hoobae from high school!” He still remembered the exchange student with an unfortunate case of acne and horrible hair decisions. Still, though, he was a fantastic dancer.

Jongdae looked puzzled as he tried to remember a Yixing. “I knew everyone in your dance club, but I don’t remember him.”

Minseok laughed, surprise evident in his voice. “You don’t remember Yixing? He used to wear that orange hoodie all the time, remember?”

He waited a few seconds for the information to sink in. There was no way he wouldn’t remember the hoodie Yixing used to wear. It was a bright, highlighter orange and regularly blinded them every time they saw it. Jongdae himself complained about it to Minseok several times.

Jongdae’s jaw dropped open. “Yeah! I remember! Oh, god, I remember the _hair_. I don’t know who told him that mullets were ever going to come back.”

They both glanced down at the photo on Jongdae’s phone screen. Minseok whistled. “Damn, puberty was really nice to him, huh?” Minseok commented.

Jongdae nodded in agreement. “I don’t think he’s ever spoken more than three words to me, though. Actually, didn’t he completely ignore me the first time we met? I’m pretty sure he hated me.” Jongdae reminisced with a faraway look on his face.

Oh, Minseok remembered. When he had introduced them to each other, Yixing had stared at Jongdae for a good minute before he walked out the door. Their other meetings were just as awkward. Yixing was an angel around anyone else, but he didn’t speak a word to Jongdae. It wasn’t until Valentine’s day when Jongdae found a gifted scarf and a small note in his locker from a secret admirer that Minseok figured it out. He’d recognize that hideous scribble of Yixing’s anywhere. It also helped that whenever Jongdae wore the scarf (all the time), Yixing would be constantly blushing and hopelessly nervous.

…but Jongdae didn’t need to know that. “Nah,” Minseok said with a smile, “he was incredibly shy. I don’t think Yixing is capable of hate; he’s too sweet.”

Jongdae shrugged. “I guess so.” He said as he went back to typing a reply.

The last time Minseok had seen Yixing was his graduation ceremony. Even though they weren’t particularly close, Yixing had cried when Minseok had hugged him goodbye on his last day at dance. Minseok smiled softly to himself as he remembered.

Jongdae suddenly sat up straight and turned to Minseok excitedly. “Hey, do you wanna meet him?” He questioned with bright eyes.

“Uh, sure?”

Jongdae’s face lit up even more at that. “Awesome! We can totally double date! I’ll tell Luhan.”

“You’re not even dating him. How would it be a double date?”

His best friend didn’t pay any attention to him as he laughed over something on his phone.

Minseok arched a brow at the giggling Jongdae. “Shouldn’t you be working on your song? Finals are coming up.” He needed to take his own advice, too. His other classes were easy, but English Lit was kicking his ass.

Jongdae pouted at Minseok. “I’m stuck. I can’t think of any lyrics.” He whined.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed the phone out of Jongdae’s hand and threw it behind him on the couch. He ignored his friend’s protests and gave him a pointed look. “Luhan can wait, then. I’ll help you, so let’s just go through it, okay?”

His heart flopped around when Jongdae threw him a bright smile. “You’re the best, thank you!”

Minseok rolled his eyes and tried to hide his happy smile from the compliment. “Yes, I know.”

. . .

“One extra hot latte for Sohyun!” Minseok called out the order as he placed it on the table. He smiled at the girl who walked up to him to pick it up and she smiled shyly back at him.

He also noticed how her cheeks turned a little pink. He was unfortunately in love with his best friend, but it still felt good to have people appreciate his looks, even if it was a stranger.

A loud crash and a yelp from behind him pulled him out of his thoughts. He didn’t need to see what it was to know that it was Chanyeol who probably dropped something. The slight wet feeling on his pants told him that there was probably milk all on the floor.

“Chanyeol…” he began, as he tried to keep his annoyance to a minimum.

“Sorry, sorry! I was moving too fast and then I just–”

“Tripped, I know.” He finished for him, “Just be careful, please? Mop this up, and I’ll finish the drink.”

Chanyeol hung his head and walked off to find the mop he had just put away. It was not the first drink Chanyeol dropped that day.

Minseok went about steaming the milk for the latte Chanyeol was making. Wufan put down his binder and walked over to stare at the mess. “Chanyeol again?”

Minseok just nodded. It was well known in their store that the big, lanky idiot they loved was a clumsy mess most of the time. If he were new to the job, they would be more forgiving, but four months into the job and it was still as if Chanyeol started yesterday. He was hopeless, but the guests loved his smile and his infectious happiness, so Wufan seemed to forgive him.

Still, Minseok’s uniform often got dirty from the various things Chanyeol would drop and splatter around the place.

Chanyeol came bumbling back and immediately cringed in fear when he saw Wufan. “I’m sorry, it was–”

“An accident, I know.” Wufan cut him off. “Honestly, Chanyeol, I’m not even surprised anymore. At this point, I’m just grateful that we don’t have very much glass here. Paper cups don’t shatter, and I don’t really want to die by Chanyeol.” He shuddered at the thought.

Minseok let out a laugh at Wufan’s words. Hearing stuff like that was precisely why Wufan was Minseok’s favorite manager. He handed out the drink he made to an old woman and walked back over to the two.

Chanyeol still seemed to be apologizing. Minseok chuckled at the sight. “Don’t worry, Yeol. As long as the guests like you, your job is safe. Wufan also likes you too much to fire you.”

Wufan scowled at Minseok for those words. “Hey, don’t encourage his clumsiness.” He scolded. His frown deepened as Chanyeol put down the mop to hug Minseok.

“Thanks, hyung. This is why you’re my favorite.” Chanyeol said as he rested his chin on Minseok’s head.

He elbowed Chanyeol off him and swatted his hands as he tried to pull Minseok back towards him. “No hugs for you. Keep mopping.”

The doorbell dinged and a short boy with soft brown hair and lots of eyeliner walked in. Minseok and Wufan shared a look immediately and they smirked. “Would you?” Minseok asked, quiet enough for only Wufan to hear.

“Hell yeah. He’s hot.” Wufan said, not so quietly.

Chanyeol heard them and looked up. “Who is?” his eyes landed on the boy who just walked in and his face lit up immediately. “Baekhyun! You came!”

The boy, Baekhyun, walked up to the counter and laughed at Chanyeol. “Were you just mopping up a spill? You weren’t kidding when you said you did that a lot, huh?”

Somehow, Wufan had managed to walk over to the counter without Minseok noticing. He roped an arm around Chanyeol’s shoulder and put on his seductive smile. “Who’s your pretty friend, Chanyeol?”

Baekhyun looked completely thrown at the sudden compliment. Evidently, he was not used to people being as forward as Wufan tended to be.

Chanyeol just beamed at Wufan. “This is Baekhyun. He’s my roommate and… my boyfriend.” He said the last part shyly, his ears a little red.

He watched the two of them look at each other bashfully. Wufan just gave Chanyeol a disgusted look. “You never told me you had a boyfriend.” He accused. Minseok could hear the accusation he didn’t voice: Chanyeol never said he had a _super hot_ boyfriend.

Chanyeol coughed and averted his eyes from his boss, clearly a little embarrassed. Minseok felt bad for the poor guy and interjected, “Wufan, don’t forget to finish the orders before you leave today.”

Wufan shot him a dirty look. He knew exactly what he was doing. “Don’t remind me.” He said, annoyance clearly on his face. “Get back to work, both of you.” He said without much power as he walked back into his office. Wufan had a hot Chinese boyfriend that he pretended to forget about when he saw hot guys in the store, but he didn’t fool any of them.

Minseok rolled his eyes and went to introduce himself to Baekhyun. He turned out to be just as friendly and goofy as Chanyeol was. They were so perfect together; it almost felt like he was reading some romantic novel.

(It made him a little sick, because he could be perfect with someone too.)

(When did he become so bitter?)


	2. April

APRIL

. . .

“Does my hair look okay?” Jongdae asked for the fifth time.

Minseok stopped answering him a while ago. Instead, he focused on not screwing up his eyeliner. He couldn’t decide if he was going for full cat-eye or just subtle. He did want to dance with hot people tonight…

“I’m so nervous. Do you think he’ll like this shirt?” Jongdae asked worriedly as he stared at himself in the mirror. He pulled at the black pleather sleeveless top he was wearing with disdain. “I can’t wear this! Who bought this garbage anyway?”

A swift kick from Minseok shut Jongdae up right away. “That’s my shirt, asshole.” Minseok said as he capped his eyeliner after deciding on his signature cat eye and stuck it in his pocket. “You look sexy. Let’s go.”

He pushed Jongdae out the bathroom door, ignoring his laments for not bringing another shirt. The club was loud, dirty, and packed–just how Minseok liked it. Jongdae usually hated clubbing, but when Luhan suggested it to celebrate the excellent score on their vocal exam, he jumped at the chance.

He spotted a familiar head of hair and patted Jongdae on the back. “Alright, mate. Go knock him dead.” Minseok yelled over the music into Jongdae's ear “Not literally, though. Don’t get too excited and take a swing at him by accident. You’re not the most coordinated person.”

“Shut up.” Jongdae glared at Minseok and shoved him away half-heartedly. “Aren’t you gonna come with me?” he asked with an anxious look on his face. 

Minseok shook his head with a small smile. He pointed to the bar, where Hakyeon was serving drinks. Jongdae just rolled his eyes at him and gave him a quick wave as he turned away.

He saw Jongdae mutter under his breath while he moved toward where Luhan was sitting at a small table. With an embarrassed smile on his face, Jongdae sidled up to Luhan quietly. Luhan immediately pulled Jongdae in for a hug and whispered something in his ear. Jongdae’s ears were red and he still looked nervous, but he looked happy to be around Luhan.

Something terrible pulled at Minseok’s heart but he ignored it as he made his way over to the bar, slightly away from the loud music. Nothing better to help a broken heart than alcohol and grinding against strangers. “Give me some of that, please.” He told the familiar face behind the counter.

“Hey, bitch.” Hakyeon greeted him with a big smile as he handed Minseok a beer. Minseok just nodded at him. He spun his bar stool slightly to look at Jongdae. They were still talking, and Jongdae had that same, bright look on his face. Minseok smacked his cheeks a few times to clear his thoughts. He wasn’t here to be a little bitch; he was here to dance.

A disappointed tut from behind him pulled him out of his thoughts. He turned around to look at him and yelped unattractively when he noticed how close beside his face Hakyeon was. “Still hung up on him?” He said, loud enough for only Minseok to hear.

Minseok made a face at Hakyeon and looked back over at Jongdae. Luhan was pulling Jongdae on to the dance floor with a big grin on his face, despite all the protests that Jongdae seemed to be making. Of course Jongdae expected to go to a club and not dance.

Minseok kept his eyes on them until a couple making out blocked his vision. Letting out a loud sigh, he spun his stool back around to look at Hakyeon. “I’m a loser.” He said. He looked at his beer, contemplated his life for a brief few seconds, then chugged it down.

Nodding, Hakyeon handed Minseok another beer and a napkin to wipe anything he dribbled. “It’s on me. You look like you need more alcohol in you.”

Minseok opened the new bottle as he thought about Luhan and Jongdae dancing together on a very tight dance floor. If he wanted to get through the night, then he absolutely needed more alcohol.

. . .

The next morning, Jongdae was puking into their toilet. He coughed and set his head on the cold bathroom floor tile. “I feel like shit.” Jongdae croaked. His hair matted to his face from his sweat and there was a disgusting stain on his cheek and shirt. “What a shitty way to start my morning…”

Nevertheless, Minseok sat dutifully next to him, rubbing his back. “No one told you to drink all those shots.” Jongdae had told him it was a bad idea, but Jongdae rarely listened, and always ended up regretting.

Jongdae groaned. “I was nervous! You know I’m not good at dancing.” He complained. Minseok hummed in reply and patted his friend’s back sympathetically. “And Luhan looked so good too. I was like an ugly duckling.”

“You were hot last night too,” Minseok assured him, “so give yourself some credit!”

He moved his hand off his back when he saw Jongdae trying to get up. Minseok handed him the cold bottle of water sitting next to him and his friend accepted it graciously. “Thanks, man. You’re the best.” Jongdae said before he took a tentative sip. “You’d be such a good boyfriend. Too bad you’re not my type.”

Too bad you're not my type.

Minseok kicked him half-heartedly and forced a smile on his face. “Same here.” He cleared his throat and looked away to try to make his expression normal. “So, why a club anyway? Luhan doesn’t seem the type.”

Jongdae nodded understandingly. “I didn’t think so either, but apparently he’s been dancing since he was little. You two actually have a very similar style and taste in music too. You’d probably get along really well.” He handed Minseok back the bottle, looking infinitely better than he did before.

Minseok hummed in reply. He didn’t want to know that he’d get along well with someone like Luhan, not when he’d been causing his heartache for the past month.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Jongdae loomed into his line of vision with a suspicious look on his face. “I said you two would get along, that’s all. Don’t go and display your charms and make him fall for you! I liked him first!”

At that, Minseok scoffed. Jongdae was ridiculous. “Charms? Don’t be ridiculous.” He got up and walked over to the sink to splash his face with some water. His hair was stuck to his head with sweat from last night and he had some terrible under eye circles. He was only slightly less disgusting than Jongdae, and that was only because the latter had been puking for the past hour.

Jongdae let out an indignant noise. “Don’t deny it! All it takes is for you to bat your pretty eyes at someone and they’re putty in your hands.”

Minseok didn’t say anything. He ran the word ‘pretty’ directed at him over in his head continuously. Not his favorite compliment, but he was still happy.

“You’re a sneaky one, Minseok. No one sees you coming, but before they know it, they’re smitten! I’ve seen your track record and it’s a lengthy one.” Jongdae continued dramatically.

Minseok rolled his eyes at that. “Oh, shut it. I’m not interested in someone like Luhan anyway. He’s pretty, but I feel like he doesn’t have enough substance. He’s a bit of an airhead, really.”

Jongdae gasped, scandalized. He threw the dirty towel at Minseok, who leaped away in disgust. “Don’t be an asshole! He’s so substantial! He’s smart too! You don’t even know him and you’re judging him, I can’t believe you–” Jongdae cut himself off when he saw the smirk on Minseok face. He played right into his trap.

Jongdae turned pink. Minseok laughed at his expression. “How cute.”

“I hate you.” Jongdae pouted. He crossed his arms and turned away defiantly, but the act was ruined by the fact that Jongdae was wearing his shirt backwards. He voiced his thoughts.

Jongdae immediately started smacking him for that, but Minseok just moved out of the way. The excessive movement caused Jongdae’s stomach to churn and he immediately went back to cradling the toilet. “I’ll get you later, you little shit.” Jongdae growled, his voice echoing slightly in the bowl.

Minseok just laughed.

. . .

[bbq 2nite, bitch!! my treat!!! meeting at 6]

“Oh, Jongdae wants to get barbecue tonight. Wanna come?” Minseok asked as he put away his phone after he sent back a quick reply.

Jongin shut off the music and sat next to him on the floor. “Can’t. Date.” He said between his deep breaths. “Shit, I’m tired. I’m getting too old for this.”

“You’re like, ten.”

“Fuck off.” Jongin replied tiredly as he grabbed Minseok’s water bottle and gulped down nearly half the bottle. Minseok swatted him but Jongin just wiggled away from reach.

“Who’s your date?” Minseok was intrigued. Jongin was attractive, but he was too focused on dancing to give any of his admirers the time of day.

Jongin didn’t reply right away. He set the water bottle down and rubbed his face. “Cheeks.” He replied, his voice breathy and slow and muffled by his hands.

Minseok gasped in disbelief. “No. Way. Cheeks? Cheeks? How the hell did you manage that?”

He shook his head as if he didn’t believe it either. “I almost puked on his shoes… I may have also had a few shots beforehand. I just went up, introduced myself, and asked him out. Oh, and get this–when I said my name, he was all like, ‘I know’ with this adorable smile on his face. He knows me!” Jongin gushed uncharacteristically.

“Dude.” Minseok said. He was impressed. Ever since Jongin first bumped into that boy, he’d been obsessed. His cheeks were ‘really cute’, therefore dubbing the name Cheeks.

“Dude.” Jongin echoed.

Minseok let out a deep breath. Then he suddenly remembered something. “So did he tell you what his name was?”

Jongin smiled brightly at this. “Do Kyungsoo. Cute, right?”

 

When Minseok entered his and Jongdae’s usual BBQ restaurant in his dance sweats, he wasn’t expecting company in the form of Luhan and Yixing. He had forgotten about Jongdae’s double date plans.

“Hi there.” He said as he walked up to their table.

Jongdae turned in his chair and wrinkled his face at Minseok’s workout clothes. “You’re late. Did dance practice go too late?”

“Nah, the buses didn’t come.” He explained. He took the seat next to Jongdae and settled his arms on the table. “Hi, Luhan.” He greeted.

Luhan smiled brightly at him. “Good to see you again.” He replied. “You dance?” Luhan asked, looking at his workout clothes.

Minseok smiled as sincerely as he could manage. “Only obsessively.”

Luhan laughed, eyes sparkling and hair swaying perfectly. Damn his genetics. He turned to Yixing, who was sitting next to him. “This is Yixing. He dances too!” he introduced. Yixing’s hair was styled nicely and he was dressed in dark jeans and a blue shirt that went great with his black hair. Puberty was really nice to him.

Flashing Yixing a bright grin, Minseok stuck out his hand over to table. “Hello, Yixing. I’m Minseok.” He greeted. Yixing shook his hand with confused look on his face. He didn’t let go of Minseok’s hand for a few moments as he continued to work out why Minseok probably looked so familiar.

Unaware of the situation, Luhan coughed awkwardly. “Uh, Yixing?” he questioned. Minseok held back his laugh. To Luhan, it was just looked like his friend was holding onto a stranger’s hand for no reason. “You should proba-”

“AH!” Yixing cut Luhan off with a loud cheer, “Minseok-hyung! From dance, right? Wow, you look so different! I barely recognized you.” Yixing looked him up and down appraisingly.

Laughing, Minseok raised an eyebrow. He had lost some weight, but he looked the same as before. Yixing seemed to still be an airhead. “I look different? Look at you!” Minseok let out a wolf whistle for effect.

He looked away bashfully and Luhan took the opportunity to butt in. “You two know each other too?” Luhan asked with an astonished look on his face.

Jongdae nodded. “Yeah, we went to high school together. Funny enough, Yixing actually recognized me right away. I guess you didn’t make much of an impression.” Jongdae joked at Minseok’s expense.

He glanced at Yixing quickly and noticed he looked embarrassed. Minseok grinned widely. “No! Not true! You’ve just really changed, hyung.” Yixing said.

The settled into an easy conversation as they reminisced together and filled in Luhan on all the details. Yixing had gone back to China for his first year of university to test the waters, but had ultimately missed Korea and decided to finish his degree at Luhan’s school.

Minseok couldn’t help but watch in slight awe as Yixing spoke. In high school, he had looked eccentric enough and he danced confidently, but he was still incredibly shy. Four years later, Yixing was handsome and charming and funny. Puberty was seriously awesome.

The rest of the night went by surprisingly quickly. Just as he remembered, Yixing was still as sweet as ever, except now he was more confident; it made talking to him very enjoyable. Luhan, as difficult as it was to admit, seemed to be cool too. He really wanted him to be the airhead he imagined, but he was fun, handsome, and just about everything else Jongdae gushed about him. Poo.

“What do you think?” Jongdae asked when they were walking home.

Minseok decided to play dumb. “Of what?”

Jongdae nudged him with his elbow with an exasperated look on his face. “Yixing! You two were getting on really well.” He said, his voice eager and hopeful.

Ah, unobservant as always. A fool would be able to see the glances Yixing gave Jongdae. It seemed that the high school crush had yet to dissipate. Minseok might have felt jealous with anyone else, but it was comforting to know that someone else was in the same boat as he was.

Minseok shook his head at the thought. “Nah,” he said instead, “it was nice to see him, but he’s not interested in me.”

They stopped walking when Jongdae suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked Minseok with curiously. “So, are you interested?” he questioned.

He rolled his eyes at Jongdae and started to walk. Jongdae immediately started to follow. “No? Maybe? I don’t know?” Minseok let out a sigh and stuck his hands in his sweatpants. “I just met him again after so long. It’s too soon to be deciding anything. So… moving on.” He wrapped up and motioned for Jongdae to speak about something else.

Jongdae brightened considerably at the idea. “Okay, so what do you think of Luhan? Totally substantial, am I right?” He elbowed Minseok lightly with glee in his voice.

Laughing, Minseok pushed him away. “He’s great. So much substance.” He joked. “But no, really, you picked a good one.” Minseok said as sincerely as he could manage. He wasn’t lying. Luhan did seem to be a great person and he would probably be good for Jongdae.

His friend beamed at him and twirled around as he walked. “Right?” he agreed giddily. “I feel such a strong connection… like, we’re meant to be.” He said dreamily.

Minseok scoffed. That wasn’t the first time he’d heard those words. “You always say that. Wasn’t your last boyfriend ‘the one’?”

Jongdae just waved him away with his hand. “Nonsense. This time, it’s real. I just know it.” He assured him with a happy smile on his face.

For what seemed to be the billionth time, Minseok shoved his feelings into a box and locked it as tightly as he could. He imagined throwing it out to sea and watched it float far away from him.

When Jongdae started singing a ballad quietly to himself, Minseok took a deep breath.

Unfortunately, before he realized it, the box ended up washing ashore, unlocked and heavier than before.

. . .

He was in the middle of his routine, trying to dance his frustrations out of him, when his music suddenly stopped. He saw Jongin standing beside him in the mirror with Sehun in tow.

“HYUNG. HYUUUUNG.” Jongin all but wailed. He ran over to Minseok and pulled him into a tight hug, ignoring the fact that he was dripping with sweat.

Minseok patted his friend’s back lightly before pushing him away gingerly. Before he even had a chance to open his mouth, Jongin started to speak. “Date. Cheeks. Fantastic.” He babbled with a crazy look in his eyes. “I’m!!”

He heard Sehun groan. “He’s been like this for days. Please fix him. It’s driving me crazy.” Sehun begged with desperation in his voice and under eye circles dark and wretched.

Minseok grinned at Jongin and clapped him on the shoulder proudly. “So I take it the date went well?”

Jongin ran his hands through his hair and looked at Minseok with wide eyes. “I had such a great time! It was awkward at first, but he’s really nice and friendly.” He gushed. “I’m so happy.” He said the last part shyly and his cheeks were pink with content.

Minseok’s heart swelled happily for his friend. Jongin was the sweetest kid Minseok knew and if anyone deserved joy, it was him. “I’m glad.” He said sincerely.

He heard Sehun pretend to puke in the back. “Gross.” He said with a sour look on his face.

Jongin whirled around and ran to Sehun. He put an arm around him and pulled him in close. “Oh, you know you love it, best friend.”

Pretending to gag, Sehun pushed Jongin away. “Ew, get off me. You’re covered in Minseok sweat.”

Minseok threw the towel he was using to wipe his face at Sehun. “Here, have some more.”

Sehun’s expression morphed into one of pure disgust. He threw it off him and started to actually gag. “Stoooooop!!” He whined.

Minseok laughed and sent a knowing look to Jongin. “Sehun’s just jealous of your new relationship. He wants all of your attention, Jongin.”

His eyes grew wide as he backed away from Jongin. “That is not true! I’m not–I don’t–” he spluttered, equal parts panic and embarrassed. The embarrassment came from the words, and the panic came from what was about to happen.

In a matter of seconds, Jongin tackled Sehun to the floor with a wicked smile on his face. Minseok immediately stepped back to get out of the line of fire as they rolled around. Futilely, Sehun yelped and tried to push him off, but Jongin just wrapped his limbs around him and held on tighter.

“I’d never forget my best friend! You’ll always be number one in my heart!” Jongin exclaimed while attack-hugging Sehun. Minseok just cackled evilly when Sehun continued to splutter embarrassedly at the affection. He watched them wrestle on the ground for a bit until he decided to interfere. 

“Jongin, that’s enough!” Minseok yelled over the noise.

Jongin stopped moving and shot Minseok a smirk. “You’re right.” He got up off Sehun and patted invisible dust off his knees. “Sorry, man. I couldn’t help it.” Jongin apologized without any sincerity.

Sehun’s face was red, his hair chaotic, and his shirt was halfway off his shoulders. “I hate you both.” He muttered as he fixed his shirt.

Laughing unapologetically, Jongin nudged Sehun lightly with his foot. “I’ll buy you bubble tea, c’mon.” He held out his hand for Sehun to grip. Minseok noticed the smirk on Jongin’s face when Sehun took the hand and Jongin pulled him up.

Worry struck Minseok and he took a step forward in anticipation. “Jongin, don’t–”

Before he could even finish his sentence, Jongin swiftly pulled Sehun by the hand towards him and planted a kiss right on Sehun’s mouth. Jongin held onto Sehun’s arm with one hand and his face with the other. If Minseok didn’t know better, the kiss almost seemed… tender?

There was absolute quiet in the room as they processed what was going on. Sehun was in shock for a few moments, but when his brain understood the situation, he shoved Jongin away with an angry look. “You little shit!” He yelled at Jongin, breaking the silence. He glared at him and furiously wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

Jongin didn’t hold back as he laughed obnoxiously. “Your… face…” He mocked. Jongin seemed to be unaware of the obvious tension in the room and the murderous aura emitting from Sehun. He wondered if he should step in.

Before he could act, Sehun glared furiously at the laughing Jongin and shoved him so hard he fell over on his butt. Jongin’s laughter stopped immediately when he finally noticed Sehun’s furious expression. Confusion filled his features, but Sehun didn’t waste a second as he stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

The loud noise rang in his ears. Minseok wondered if maybe he saw something he shouldn’t have. “Did I go too far?” Jongin asked his voice small and confused.

Minseok grimaced and helped pull his friend up. “Well, maybe you shouldn’t have kissed him?” He suggested.

Jongin met his eyes and shook his head. “It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve done it, though. He’s never reacted like that before.”

He was positive now that he saw something he shouldn’t have. He had an idea about what might be going on, and he started to feel guilt weighing down his stomach when he realized he hadn’t helped the situation at all. The guilt didn’t stop himself from being curious. “You’ve, uh–kissed before?” Minseok asked in disbelief.

Jongin furrowed his brow and crossed his arms in thought. “A few times, yeah. Just to annoy him… but this is the first time he’s been this angry about it. Something must be up…”

He didn’t say anything. Best friends did many things together, but he was pretty sure kissing wasn’t a normal friendly gesture.

“Hyung, what do I do? He looked really mad!” Jongin asked, desperation clear in his voice.

Minseok let out a sigh and clapped Jongin on the shoulder lightly. Despite being so talented at dancing, Jongin was still the same, dense boy he had grown to love. “He’s your best friend, you’ll know what to do better than me.” He said. Jongin didn’t look inspired at all, as his shoulder drooped further. “Give him time to cool off, and then talk to him.” He advised. It wasn’t revolutionary, but it would work.

Jongin nodded and went to grab his stuff, his shoulders sagging and the happiness sucked out of him. Minseok felt a little depressed himself. Sehun and Jongin were always together, no matter what. They often tended to butt heads, but their arguments were meaningless and their competitive nature was just part of their friendship. It still surprised Minseok to see another pair of best friends that had lasted for so long, even though their relationship was so different from his and Jongdae’s.

However, seeing how Sehun reacted the kiss indicated that maybe he wasn’t the only one with an unrequited love for a childhood best friend. Maybe their friendships weren’t so different after all.

. . .

Minseok was changing into his work uniform when Chanyeol walked in the changing room, headphones in his ears and face covered by huge sunglasses. His face lit up as soon as he saw Minseok. “Ah, Minseok. How are you?”

He smiled back at him and pulled off his shirt. “Good, you?”

Chanyeol hummed in reply as he started putting his bag into his locker and putting away his phone. “Really tired. Baekhyun and I have been working on a new song together, and it’s coming together, but it’s taking a lot of time.”

This intrigued Minseok. “You guys are writing a song? That’s pretty awesome. I didn’t know Baekhyun could sing.”

The excitement filled Chanyeol’s eyes as he grinned his big, happy smile. “You don’t even know, hyung. His voice is so angelic, it doesn’t even make sense with the way he is. He’s really talented, even with writing music. We’ve been working on music together ever since we were little. It’s kind of our thing and-“

Chanyeol cut himself off when he noticed Minseok’s amused expression. “No, go on.” He encouraged, sarcasm clear in his voice. “I love feeling super lonely when hearing about couples that are in love.”

At his comments, Chanyeol flushed a deep red and shot Minseok and embarrassed look. He turned around to face his locker to avoid Minseok. “I’ll shut up now.”

Minseok laughed loudly, his voice echoing in the room. Chanyeol really was a cute kid (if kids could be six feet tall).

Minseok was buttoning up his shirt when a random thought occurred to him. “Chanyeol,” he began as he waited for the other’s attention, “you and Baekhyun have been friends for a long time, right?”

“Like, 16 years.” He said matter-of-factly.

Damn. That was a long time. “So, uh, before you guys got together, you never like, kissed for no reason, right? Like to annoy each other?”

The weird look Chanyeol gave him was enough of an answer. “Yup, I thought so. Nevermind, Chanyeolie. Let’s get to work… the day has only started and you’ve got a lot of milk to spill.”

. . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back? lol, it's been a while.
> 
> enjoy x


	3. May

MAY

. . .

Six, seven, eight… Minseok counted as he lifted his weights. His arms were tired and he was dripping with sweat, but he continued. He had been neglecting working out for a while, and it was showing in his pudgy arms and slightly flabby stomach. If he and Jongdae were going to visit Busan in the summer, he needed to tone up.

He heard the door to the apartment opening and the sounds of Jongdae puttering around as took off his shoes and entered. Jongdae seemed to be noisier than usual, which meant he needed to talk about something. Sure enough, loud stomps headed toward his room, and Minseok knew to set his weights down.

Jongdae banged the door open with a wild-eyed look on his face. “I’ve decided.” He announced. Minseok waited. “I’m… I’m going to confess.”

Oh.

Minseok’s eyes widened. “For real?” He managed to ask. It was hard to breathe and he felt his stomach twist and turn, but he forced a normal look on his face.

Jongdae nodded. He sat on Minseok’s bed and fidgeted with his feet. There was nervousness and anxiety in his gestures, but underneath, Minseok could see the excitement brimming. “Yeah. I have to, or else I never will.” He said determinedly. “I asked him to the concert next week.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Concert? You mean the Four Seasons one?” he questioned.

Jongdae immediately looked guilty at Minseok’s words. He took Minseok’s hands and cupped them in his own. “I’m sorry! I know we promised to go together, but I really have to do this. Please!” He begged.

Minseok felt his heart drop at the thought of someone else going with Jongdae. He desperately wanted to say no. He didn’t want Jongdae to confess–no, he didn’t want Luhan to see something, to hear the words that he wished he could hear.

If Minseok were braver, he could tell Jongdae no. He could confess before Jongdae confessed. If Minseok were braver, maybe he could do something about his feelings that just settled and burned with nowhere to go. Maybe he could stop lying and convincing himself that he was okay, when it really hurt to be in love with your best friend, who seemed to find ‘true love’ with everyone but him. Maybe he could take a step forward and change his helpless situation.

If Minseok were braver, maybe he could.

Instead, he smiled lightly at his best friend and hoped it looked normal. “No worries. This is more important than the concert.” He assured Jongdae. He didn’t know if he made the right choice, but when Jongdae’s face lit up with happiness and anticipation, Minseok couldn’t regret it. Jongdae jumped giddily and lay back on Minseok’s bed.

With Jongdae distracted, Minseok took the opportunity to take some deep breaths. This wasn’t the first time Jongdae confessed to someone else. He could do this. There was more to life than this. Minseok grabbed his towel and wiped the sweat off his face. “What made you decide to do it?” He questioned. Minseok lifted himself up off his chair and sat on the bed next to Jongdae.

Covering his eyes with his elbow, Jongdae smiled. “I ran into Daehyun just now.” Minseok raised his eyebrows in surprise. “I know you just made a dumb face. Put down your eyebrows.”

Minseok pouted. “I still don’t get how you can tell without looking…”

He uncovered his face and laughed at Minseok. “I know everything about you.” He said easily (and Minseok ignored how his heart rate picked up). Jongdae looked up at the ceiling and focused on something there. “He looked great. He was also with his new boyfriend…”

“Oh, shit.” Minseok knew Daehyun very well. He and Jongdae dated for two years and a half years in high school, which at the time, meant that they were ‘soulmates’. They both were interested in the same post-secondary plans, but they were going to different schools in different cities. Daehyun had broken up with him not long after their graduation, and so Jongdae’s first relationship ended on a sweltering night at the beginning of their summer vacation.

Minseok still remembered how much Jongdae cried, and how long it had taken him to get out of his post-breakup funk. It was not a fun summer to remember by any means.

“Yeah, he looked great,” Jongdae added, “and more importantly, he looked so happy, so I thought, why not me? Then I realized that hey, maybe I could change this part of my life for the better, so why not try? Of course, this is if it’s a requited love, but even if it’s not, I think it’ll be good for me. I can’t be stuck on one guy forever!”

Minseok kept his mouth shut and looked at him incredulously.

“I talked too much again, didn’t I?” Jongdae apologized with a laugh.

Minseok shook his head and smiled softly at him as he reached over to pat Jongdae lightly on the knee. “Nah, you didn’t. I’m just wondering when you got so smart.”

Jongdae snorts at this. “Hey, I’ve always been smart!” He argued. Minseok tuned him out as he began to ramble about that one time he got honor roll in high school.

(He ignored his heavy heart because pretending was easier than acknowledging how shitty he felt the past few days.)

“What about you?” Jongdae interrupted his thoughts. “Anyone you like?”

Minseok shook his head. “Nah.” He hoped he sounded convincing.

Jongdae wasn’t satisfied with that answer. He nudged Minseok lightly with his foot. “C’mon, is there really no one? How about Jongin? You two get along well and he obviously really likes you.”

He rolled his eyes and wiped the cooling sweat off his forehead tiredly. “Nah, definitely not. Jongin’s in a love triangle of his own, and I do not want to join in.”

Almost immediately, Jongdae’s eyes lit up. “Of his own? Are you saying that you’re in a love triangle right now?” He pestered.

Minseok was shocked. He definitely didn’t see that coming. When he didn’t answer right away, Jongdae just leaned closer forward. Minseok pushed his face away with his hand. “I didn’t say that.” He said as calmly as possible.

Jongdae squealed. “Liar! I know you, Minseok. Who is it? What’s the triangle?”

He shot his eager friend a dirty look. “There is no triangle!” He said, his voice firm. He pointed to the door. “You’re bothering my work out. Go away.”

Surprisingly, Jongdae gave up easily, but he did leave with a pout on his face. When the door shut, Minseok cradled his face in his hands and let out a deep breath. Jongdae could be so dense, but then turn around and be alarmingly sharp as well. It was disorienting, even after so many years with him.

He shook his head roughly, as if to throw the thoughts away, and picked up his weights. There was no better way to distract himself than to work out.

. . .

Minseok took a deep breath to calm his anxiety. He could do this.

He clicked the button to see his transcript and immediately shut his eyes before he could register anything. With clasped his hands together in concentrated prayer, he whispered to himself, “If there is a god out there, please let me pass. Please.”

Taking a deep breath, Minseok opened his eyes enough to see what his grade was.

The big, fat F stared at him.

“FUCK.”

Any plans that Minseok had to relax this summer and forget about all his worries disappeared when he realized that he’d have to retake English Lit.

In a fit of anger, Minseok slammed his laptop screen down and kicked the garbage can sitting under his desk. He forgot that he hadn’t emptied it in a while, and his garbage spilled out everywhere. Minseok let out a loud sigh and bent down to pick it all up.

This sucked.

He flopped onto his bed and reached for his phone to check why it was buzzing. Jongin was sending snaps of him and Cheeks–or, technically, it was Kyungsoo now. If Jongin was already taking photos of them cuddling on couches while watching bad movies, things must have been going really well.

He went to check on Sehun, and noticed there weren’t any updates on his story. He felt worry bubble in his stomach; it wasn’t like Sehun to not update his story at least once an hour. He sent a quick text to him.

[hey, you okay?]

All he got was the smiling black moon emoji back. Minseok couldn’t help but laugh.

[no emoji’s. words only.]

Just to annoy him, Sehun sent him the yellow moon emoji in reply.

[jk. im fine dw just a lil under the weather]

That was a lie, Minseok knew for sure. Even when Sehun had gotten the flu so bad he had to go to the hospital, he still managed to update his Instagram. Sehun was definitely upset, and Minseok had an inkling exactly why.

[well msg me any time ok????????]

In reply, Sehun spammed him with heart emojis. After getting 12 nonstop texts, Minseok regretted even asking about Sehun at all. He put his phone on silent and tossed it on his bed. He ambled out of his room to go and bother Jongdae. He knocked on his door, and didn’t wait for him to reply as he walked in.

“Holy shit, what did you do?”

Every single clothing item he owned was scattered all over the floor in different piles. Jongdae was sitting in the middle of it all, staring down three different shirts with a very intense look on his face. “I don’t know what to wear.”

Shaking his head at the mess, Minseok managed to step over onto Jongdae’s bed to settle down on it. “This is insane. You’re–ouch, what is this?” Something was digging into Minseok’s leg. He reached under the pile he was sitting on to pull out Jongdae’s fashion boots (he called them fashion, but really they were just ugly combat boots with real, painful spikes all over).

Jongdae sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I’ve been at this for hours now, and I finally whittled it down to these three. Please help me pick.” He whined pathetically.

A twisted, awful part of Minseok’s mind told him to pick the worst shirt so Jongdae wouldn’t look as good and then maybe Luhan would reject him. He quickly shut that part of him up and picked the black and grey button down that flattered Jongdae’s pretty frame. “Middle one is good.”

Jongdae looked at him from underneath his eyelashes and gave him a smile so lovely it broke Minseok’s heart. “Thank you.” He said softly.

Minseok didn’t want to confront the painful feeling inside his chest, so he threw the sweatpants sitting next to him at Jongdae’s adorable face. Just as he expected, Jongdae immediately started throwing things back at him as revenge.

(But even when he left Jongdae to his mess and lay in bed, ready to sleep, the image of Jongdae’s smiling face lingered in his mind. He wondered how Jongdae smiled at Luhan and if it was as beautiful as the smiles he received. He wondered if Luhan even cared. He wondered if he’d always fall asleep miserable.)

(Fuck.)

. . .

“I can’t do this!!!”

“Hold still!” Minseok chided.

“Sorry.” A pause. “I really can’t do this.”

Minseok took a deep breath and massaged his temple with one hand. He counted to three to calm himself. “Jongdae. Jongdae, look at me.”

His best friend opened his eyes and looked at Minseok with panic. Minseok clapped his hands on Jongdae’s shoulders and looked him straight on with a very stern expression. “Jongdae, you can do this. You’re dressed like a ten, and I’m gonna do your make-up so nice you’ll look like the twenty you really are. You’re gonna go meet Luhan and stun him, and you know what he’s gonna say? He’s gonna say that you look fantastic. He won’t be able to say anything else.” He said. Jongdae’s cheeks dusted pink at the compliments and he visibly relaxed.

“Now shut your mouth before I give you a raccoon eyes. I need to get the eyeliner right.” He finished.

Jongdae pouted, but he shut his eyes and finally sat still. Minseok shifted closer to get a better angle and reached out to cradle Jongdae’s face lightly with his hands. He ignored just how close his mouth was to his and how it would take only half a second to reach out and just kiss him and finally find out what it felt like to not be so jaded all the time. Instead, he focused on keeping the liner on his lid straight.

He drew it on thin enough to keep it subtle, but he smudged it out to make the look sultry and just enough sexy to make Luhan weak at the knees (it certainly made him weak). He put on a light coat of bb cream to conceal any discoloration, but Jongdae has always had flawless skin.

(He spent extra time just touching him, because he wouldn’t be able to do that for a while).

He finally finished and leant away to admire his handiwork. Minseok said he’d make him a twenty, but he knew he was a total 100 score in his books. “I’m done.” Minseok said softly.

Jongdae opened his eyes right away and ran off to the bathroom so he could look in a mirror. Minseok took the time to collect himself because damn, Jongdae was a knock out.

Minseok started gathering his things when he heard the pattering of Jongdae footsteps approach and he saw him standing there with a huge smile on his face. He beamed at him, sunshine and happiness radiating and attacked Minseok with a bear hug. He held him tight and Minseok’s heart puttered pathetically.

He heard the small thank you muttered into his ear as Jongdae momentarily gripped him even tighter. The moment ended all too soon for Minseok and he left just as quickly as he arrived. Jongdae didn’t wait for him to say anything as he walked back to the bathroom to finish getting ready.

It sucked, Minseok thought. It sucked so much that he was that close, but not close enough. He wondered how much longer he could do this before he snapped.

Jongdae pattered around for another twenty minutes before Minseok shoved him out and wished him luck. When he left, Minseok couldn’t find anything to do. He tried to work out, but he didn’t have the energy. He flipped through channels on the TV, but he couldn’t focus. He called his mom, and they talk for an hour, but when he hung up, he was stuck again.

He couldn’t stop thinking about Jongdae confessing his love and jumping into Luhan’s arms when he said the same back to him. Would Luhan walk him home? Would they kiss goodbye outside their apartment door? Would Jongdae smile at him as he’d never smiled at Minseok?

Minseok grabbed the pillow on his bed and muffled a scream into it. He would go crazy if he kept this up. He needed to keep his hands and mind busy, so he decided he was going to clean his bathroom. He brought out his cleaning supplies and started to clean every bit of dirt he could find.

It worked for a few hours. It was just past midnight when he finished, and his bathroom was sparkling.

He washed his hands off to get rid of the artificial lemon scent and headed to his kitchen. He was craving ice cream and a quick look into his freezer showed him that there wasn’t any left. Jongdae must have grabbed the last one.

He slipped on some runners and headed down to the convenience store a few blocks away from their apartment. It was ridiculous, getting ice cream at this time, but he needed it. The warm summer air was pleasant on his skin anyway.

(He ignored the small voice inside him that told him he was running away and putting off the inevitable talk with Jongdae).

He got some popsicles, and he took his sweet time getting back. He took an extra-long route home, going around several extra blocks and he had already burned through half his box of popsicles when he finally got home. He unlocked his apartment door to be greeted with darkness. He flipped the light switch and noticed Jongdae’s shoes sitting there. So he was home.

Minseok realized he must have gone to bed and he was relieved. He really didn’t want to hear about his fun night with Luhan.

He put the leftover ice cream in his freezer and stepped quietly into his own room. The lights were off, but the lamp next to his bed was on, casting a dim shadow on the entire room. He looked around and was startled by the lump of blankets on his bed. He held his breath as he approached.

Jongdae was sitting up, curled in his blankets with a tired look on his eyes. The black eyeliner he meticulously applied earlier had smudged all around his eyes which only accentuated his tiredness. The shadows cast over his face made him look even worse.

“Shit.” Minseok whispered. He watched as his best friend let out a sad chuckle.

Minseok immediately went to hold him. “Oh, Jongdae.” He murmured. He pushed Jongdae’s hair back and swiped at a streak of black eyeliner that had gotten on his cheek. He pulled them down on his bed and wrapped the blanket around both of them. Jongdae immediately stuck himself close to him and covered his face in Minseok’s chest.

After some time had passed, Jongdae’s breathing settled and his grip on Minseok relaxed. Minseok let out a quiet sigh and settled in to sleep as well.

 

He woke up to Jongdae’s face just a few inches away from his. Minseok reached over and gently brushed Jongdae’s hair away from his face. Jongdae moved his head slightly and Minseok noticed how puffy his eyes were. He must have cried before Minseok got to him. He regretted going for the popsicles. He didn’t know the details of what had happened last night, but Luhan had definitely done a number on him. He hated seeing Jongdae so hurt.

He disentangled himself from Jongdae and plodded off to the bathroom. He was almost finished brushing his teeth when he heard Jongdae putter around in his bedroom. He put his toothbrush down and hurriedly washed his face. He poked his head into his room and watched Jongdae make his bed.

“Hey, you don’t have to do that!” Minseok immediately went over and pulled Jongdae away.

His best friend just rolled his eyes. “I’m not invalid, Minseok. I can still make a bed.” He sassed. It was comical, seeing how his eyes were still smudged badly with eyeliner and his hair looked like a rat’s nest, but he decided not to comment.

He must have had a pitying look on his face, which resulted in Jongdae shoving him lightly. “Stop worrying. I’ll be okay.” He reassured.

“I’m just–”

“Worried, I know. I’ll be okay.” He repeated. Even though he looked exhausted and unkempt, Minseok believed him.

He sat down on the half-made bed and crossed his legs and gestured for Minseok to join him. Jongdae immediately rested his head on Minseok’s shoulder and let out a deep breath. They were quiet for a few moments while Jongdae gathered his thoughts.

“The concert was fantastic. He said I looked great, he looked fantastic as usual, and everything was going really well. We decided to get some late night ice cream at that 24 hour place right by the park and we took a walk… it was just so fucking romantic, man. There was moonlight and flowers and we just sort of stopped and I knew it was the right moment.” Jongdae stopped to let out a huge sigh. “I had it all planned out, what I was going to say, but instead I just sort of blurted out ‘I really like you, go out with me’. He let me down nicely, he really did, and somehow I held it together until I got home. Then I sort of just…” He trailed off.

Minseok wrapped his arm around his friend’s shoulder and squeezed lightly. “I didn’t know you liked him that much.” Minseok said, not unkindly.

He shrugged. “I didn’t either until I got rejected.”

“He’s an idiot.” Minseok said simply.

Jongdae snorted. He obviously didn’t believe him.

Minseok pulled away and forced Jongdae to turn towards him. “Hey, don’t give me that. You’re a fucking catch, and if he’s too dumb to see it, then obviously his fishing pole is broken.” He said seriously. “I never even liked him! He was totally unsubstantial.” He added.

His friend let out a laugh at that. “Thanks.” He gave Minseok a smile. It was a tired one, but it was a smile nonetheless.

He lightly pushed Jongdae off the bed and towards the bathroom. “You need a shower. No offence, but you stink.” Jongdae swatted his head for that. Minseok batted him away and laughed. “I’ll make breakfast.”

Jongdae thanked him again and traipsed to the shower. Once he heard the water running, Minseok collapsed on his bed and let out a strangled sigh.

His heart hurt so much it felt like it had taken several beatings. It was one thing being in love with your best friend, and it was another to see him heartbroken for another person. He hated feeling so powerless. His insides burned with envy towards Luhan. He wanted to walk in the park and receive a romantic confession. He wanted to be Luhan so bad, it was debilitating.

Minseok felt like pulling his hair out. Worst of all, a small but particularly loud voice inside of Minseok felt secretly relieved. He hated seeing Jongdae hurt, but he also really hated seeing his best friend in a relationship with someone else. Minseok loathed himself for even thinking that way, but as much as he tried, he couldn’t banish the thought.

He took deep breaths and steadied himself. Maybe eating chocolate chip pancakes would make him and Jongdae feel better.

(It didn’t.)

. . .

 

sorry if there are mistakes!! I hate proofreading

enjoy x


End file.
